PCOS – Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

PCOS Naturopath Toronto - Naturopathic Treatments

Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is the most common hormonal condition, affecting an estimated 10-20% of females. The name PCOS can be confusing as many women with the condition don’t have ovarian cysts at all. Rather, PCOS represents a set of hormonal “imbalances” that affect the entire body for the lifespan.

Patients with a family history of PCOS or diabetes are more at risk and the World Health Organization estimates that 116 million or more women are affected worldwide. Studies have found that up to 75% of individuals are undiagnosed, yet continue to suffer with the symptoms of PCOS.

PCOS is a complex hormonal condition affecting the entire body, including hormones, metabolism, fertility, and the brain and immune system. PCOS has genetic and epigenetic origins, and certain environmental and dietary factors can make it worse.

Dr. Fiona McCulloch ND - Medical Director of White Lotus Clinic and Author of Best-Seller "8 Steps to Reverse Your PCOS"

PCOS Diagnosis

PCOS may be diagnosed when a woman has two of the three following criteria:

Anovulation (lack of ovulation) or delayed ovulation

Anovulation is characterized by more than a span of 35 days between periods.

High levels of androgens

Androgens includes testosterone and similar hormones or clinical signs of high androgens like hirsutism (facial hair growth), cystic acne or hair loss.

Polycystic ovaries seen on an ultrasound

This is more common in younger women and often disappears with age.

PCOS Symptoms

PCOS can cause a wide variety of stressful and troublesome symptoms. To make matters even more challenging, these symptoms can change at different times of life.

Symptoms of PCOS Include:

cycles that are absent or far apart
acne, especially cystic or jawline acne
boils and hydradenitis suppuritiva
hair loss, particularly on the top of the head
hirsutism or hair growth on the face, chest and under the belly-button
infertility or subfertility
abdominal weight gain
difficulty losing weight despite working hard at diet/exercise
skin tags
darkened skin patches or hyperpigmentation (acanthosis nigricans)
mood disorders including anxiety, depression and eating disorders
chronic low grade inflammation
fatty liver disease

Naturopathic Testing for PCOS

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome varies from patient to patient and changes throughout the lifespan. As a result your ND will order a custom panel of tests suited to your case and your health goals.

For women who are cycling these are performed on specific cycles days. For those who aren’t cycling, that’s OK – we can run these tests anytime.

Some of the tests we commonly order for patients with PCOS include:

Progesterone and Estradiol (timed typically 5-7 days after ovulation if cycling)
FSH and LH (timed on cycle day 2 or 3 of the cycle)
Total Testosterone
Androstenedione
Free Testosterone
DHEA-S
Sex Hormone Binding Globulin
Fasting Insulin or the 2 Hour Insulin Glucose Challenge
hs-crp
HBA1C
Cortisol
Thyroid panel (TSH, free T3, free T4, Thyroid Autoantibodies)
DUTCH testing for hormone metabolites

We use ranges that are age-adjusted in order to ensure accuracy. Levels of androgens decrease dramatically with age so this is crucial to account for in diagnosis!

Naturopathic Treatment of PCOS

PCOS includes a wide spectrum of types and the way it affects a woman can change throughout her life. Women with PCOS have very different needs in times of adolescence, during the reproductive years and through the perimenopausal transition and post menopause. We always focus on what you need, when you need it, with our unique approach to PCOS.

Our Treatments May Include:

Natural Supplements to manage insulin resistance and inflammation in PCOS
Sustainable Dietary Approaches to Increase Insulin Sensitivity
Cyclic Bio-Identical Progesterone Therapy to Reduce Androgens and Regulate Cycles
Anti-Androgenic Botanical/Herbal Medicines including custom formulations
Management of hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis (commonly associated with PCOS)
Naturopathic Approaches for Adrenal Androgen Excess and Stress in PCOS
Naturopathic Fertility care specific for PCOS for those trying to conceive
Assistance in Discontinuing Oral Contraceptive Medications
Support for the Unique Needs for Mood and Mental Health in PCOS
PCOS-Specific Environmental Health guidance

Naturopathic Nutrition for Classic or Insulin-Resistant PCOS

We know that many of you with “classic” or insulin-resistant forms of PCOS have struggled for years trying different diets.

We know how hard you’ve worked and that you don’t get the same results that others do! The typical instructions to, ‘just lose weight’ are simply not helpful when it comes to this condition.

Easy weight gain with PCOS is not your fault – this is caused by the physiology of insulin resistance and blood sugar dysregulation. We have found that the majority of patients with insulin resistant PCOS will need to follow a sustainable nutrition plan based on managing insulin levels, not calories.

We offer easy-to-follow meal plans and intuitive nutrition modules to help our patients succeed as they learn to manage their blood sugar and insulin levels with whole, nutrient-dense foods.

Naturopathic Medicine for Lean PCOS

Lean PCOS is a condition which can be very confusing to practitioners and patients alike. Many patients with lean PCOS may not have significant insulin resistance and often are placed on restrictive diets with little to no benefit.

These diets can be stressful and don’t address the root causes of problems in lean PCOS. However, some patients with lean PCOS may have milder insulin resistance or reactive hypoglycemia, so it is important to identify these elements if present.

For lean PCOS we identify the levels of insulin resistance and hypoglycemia and focus on the root cause of hormonal imbalance. A careful diagnosis of imbalances of androgens, progesterone, estradiol, FSH and LH and rebalancing these key underlying causes is the best approach to the treatment of lean PCOS.